Jonas H. Roe July 15, 1863

No 15      Direct yours to Vicksburg Miss

		Warran Co Mississippi
		July 15th 1863
Dear Wife.		Mill dale church

          I am truly thankful to God for another opportunity to write to you Since I last wrote to you I have received a Letter from you No 15 and I am very thankful to the writer for the same I am still remaining in the Convalescent Camp I have been troubled very much with Camp Diarhea + chills I am now improving + hope to be able to go to the Reg. soon it is in the vicinity of Jackson the Capital of Mississippi We took possession of Yazoo City yesterday morning without firing a gun Gen Joe. Johnson is preparing to give us a Fight in the vicinity of Jackson there has been considerable of Skirmishing there + we have taken upwards of One thousand Prisoners altogether there I think there will be a very hard Battle faught there within ten days + that we will take Joe. Johnson + his Army in we have him surrounded + Gen Grant is gradually bringing up his Army on every side of Johnson Celina on the 4th of July Gen Holms Marmaduke Price Carter +c attacked Gen. Printis at Helena Phillips Co. Arkansas with about sixteen or seventeen thousand men Gen. Printis had only four thousand men But Printis + his brave boys with the assistance of the Gun Boats gave the Rebels a severe thrashing they killed wounded + took prisoners nearly or quite two thousand Rebels half of them was killed or wounded Celina I told you that our Fortifications at Helena were so strong that if Gen Price ever attacked it he would get his Army all cut to peices and it has turned out as I predicted Gen. Grant has accomplished a big thing here he has taken all together over Forty thousand Prisoners at Vicksburg + its vicinity + perhaps has killed and wounded fully as many more he wiped the Enemy handsomely in every Battle We have lost one thousand of as brave + good men as the world ever produced Fathers Mothers wives sisters brothers + children are left by thousands to mourn of children husbands brothers + Fathers - They should realize that they gave their lives in a righteous Cause The cause of humanity. They died for their + our beloved country may their memories ever live in the breasts of the American people
Since I last wrote you on about the 8th or 10th of July Fort Hutson was taken by Gen Banks with upwards of eight thousand prisoners + all of the Cannon + their munitions of war. Now we have complete possession of the Mississippi River + I have no doubt of what we will keep it We have Recd information that Gen Meade has whiped the Rebel Gen. Lee in Tenn. +c. Celina I still have the same faith that I always have had since the war commenced that the Rebel + Copperhead Traitors will finely be destroyed that they are nothing but bands of Robers theives + cut throats + that the God of Heaven will surely destroy them I thank God that Slavery that great curse of our country is whiped out + that the Spirit of the Declaration of American Independence written + proclaimed by Thos. Jefferson in 1776 will be felt by the descendants of Africa. Ignorance is the parent of oppression You can not find a person here that is Intelligent who does not rejoice in the downfall of Slavery
The more a man becomes acquainted with the workings + oppressions of slavery the more disgusting + inhuman it appears. Many of the Slave owners do not treat their Slaves as well as we treat our horses + Cattle in the North. The Negros have been belied it was said that they would not fight that they were cowards that falsehood has been dispelled it has been proven on the bloody fields of Battle that they are the truest + best of Soldiers in one of the charges of Gen Banks on Fort Hutson Col. Payne of a Colored Reg fell mortally wounded after our men had fallen back + Payne was left among the dead + wounded his men black whent to Gen Banks + Wanted the privillage of going on the field + bring out the Body of their Commander on a litter Banks told them that the Enemy would shute them but gave them the privillage. four at a time volunteered their services + before they got to the body they were all shot down by the Rebel Sharpshooters others volunteered + was shot down until sixteen was shot then Gen Banks would not let any more go.
                          I am yours affectionately
                                       C. Roe           J.H. Roe

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